869 Integrated Amplifier By EAR

Note: Delivery of EAR gear has been taking 60-90 days due to COVID supply chain disruptions. Give us a quick call to get started on an order with a small deposit.

Jaguar is pleased to offer EAR electronics, some of the most musical tube gear in existence.  When it comes to high-end tube amplifiers, there are hundreds of brands on the market, many costing much more than EAR. However, at Jaguar we’re only interested in amps like EAR or Lamm, which are created by visionary designers and stand above the others as truly unique and special. Integrated models allow you to avoid the use of a separate preamplifier, simplifying the system and lowering the overall budget.

The EAR 869 is a single-ended power amplifier that can be used as an integrated or power amp. No connection is required between pre-out and amp-in jacks. The 869 outputs 13 Watts per channel into 4, 8, or 16 ohms, uses EL519 output tubes, is self-biasing and has six line inputs and one tape output.

EAR (formerly “Esoteric Audio Research”) is the brainchild of Tim de Paravicini, whose name has been associated since the 1970s with electronics of the highest fidelity. De Paravicini’s innovative techniques have not only borne fruit in products for EAR but in designs for some of the world’s most highly regarded electronics manufacturers. Some of these designs have been continually prized—and sought—by discerning listeners for decades after their introduction.

Tim de Paravicini has also made unique contributions to the world of professional recording and mastering. Users of his tape recording systems, microphones, and other recording technology include performers Pink Floyd and Lenny Kravitz, the Altarus and Water Lily record labels, and renowned recording and mastering engineers like Robert Ludwig, Joe Gastwirt, and James Guthrie. One of the world’s highest-ranked mastering facilities, The Exchange in London, uses two playback systems in which the entire chain–from tape machines and equalizers to cutter amplifiers and monitoring equipment—is EAR-designed and built. Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs uses his LP cutting system, as well as a playback tape deck with his electronics.

EAR amplifiers are unequaled in their ability to deliver a pure rendition of the signal fed into them, free from the colorations and distortions of most amplifiers. Tim de Paravicini has been instrumental in investigating the role of ultrasonic resonances in amplifier circuits and their effect on transient response. He has also undertaken significant original research on the subjective effects of distortion. This research has not only facilitated the interpretation of amplifier measurements but has shed light on the correlation between measurements and sound quality. The results are easy to appreciate—EAR amplifiers are among the most accurate amplifiers ever made.